As Long As You're Mine
By Sailor Miaka
Author's notes: Hey guys, sorry about the late update again. Life is hectic. I swear when I get out of school I'll update more regularly. Anyway. Reviewers I left you a little note as usual at the bottom. Happy readings all.
Disclaimers: I don't own MMPR etc. I fI did, well I'm sure you all know what would happen.
Warnings: Swearing, it isn't too bad in this one but be prepared from this point forward. Situations may get really intense so be prepared.
Please read and review
Ch. 8
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Kim and Tommy walked down the hall towards the kitchen. It was a short walk distance wise, but with every step Kim felt more and more ashamed of herself for the way she had treated Katherine. She had thought she had dealt with the resentment of her replacement and moved on. Obviously she hadn't.
When this is over, she thought. Kat and I will sit down and have a nice long, involved chit chat. Maybe she knows something about the letters…
"Hey Kim!" called Adam from the far end of the Kitchen where he was balancing his plate as well as Tanya's as Aisha attempted to make eating room out of a counter top.
Kim smiled, security filling her. The team understood. They always had.
Aisha gave her a quick squeeze before sitting Kim down and throwing food her way.
"Eat!" Aisha ordered.
"Yes Mama Bear," Tommy said with a smile.
Aisha shot him a long-suffering gaze before smiling. Tommy had long ago figured out that Aisha's near manic obsession with cleaning, organizing fussing over people and cooking was merely her way of dealing with stressful situations. It kept her busy, kept Rocky happy and filled the role of mother hen within the team. Tommy gave Hayley a small wave as he dug into his food. The techie was down at the other end of the table deeply involved in a conversation with Billy, Trini, and Ethan about the logistics of the Dino Thunder team. He could hear very very complicated phrases that he didn't quite understand and wisely chose to stay out of. He could barely work his PC let alone figure out the downstairs systems. That was always Billy, Trini and Hayley's job. He was the leader and leading is what he did. Jason dragged in a few minutes later. Tommy immediately noticed the blush heighten on Kat's bent head.
Ahhhh, he thought with a small smile. That explains why Jason won't look this way.
Aisha immediately fussed over the injured man, practically shoving him down in the chair next to Tommy and throwing food down his throat. Kat, now directly sitting across from Jason, quit eating and immediately began to help Aisha cleaning up. He turned to Kim. She was staring at her plate more than eating. Tommy felt his ears turn red and he realized everyone was quiet and now staring at them.
We had better hurry, he thought.
"So Tommy, what was so important?"
Angela's question sucked all the joviality out of the room. They had all forgotten that she was with them and that she wasn't a Power Ranger didn't know anything about them and was an innocent bystander. A collective sigh went around the table.
"How much does she know Zack?" Jason asked quietly.
Angela's eyes widened as she stared at her husband. The hell?
"Not much," Zack admitted. "Suspicion's really if anything at all."
"You all can quit talking about me like I'm not here," Angela said angrily. "Just what is going on?"
"I take it everyone is done eating then?" Tanya said with a half smile as she stood.
"I'll just …meet you all down there," Hayley said, retreating quickly.
"Down where?" Trini called as the redhead fairly ran towards the basement door.
"My basement." Tommy replied, grabbing his plate.
Minutes later the Rangers and Angela were walking down the narrow stairs to Tommy's basement. Angela was getting angrier by the second and Zack knew from experience that the longer this explanation took the worse it would be for all of them. Tommy's former teammates looked around in confusion when they arrived at the bottom of the staircase and were met with complete darkness.
Then the lights came on.
Computers lined the walls as did carved out impressions. A large symbol shining and turning on a mounted screen caught their attention. The former Rangers chuckled in amusement as they realized where they must be. Kimberly stared in amazement.
"Everyone take a seat," said Hayley with a hint of pride in her voice.
She stepped aside to reveal a long wooden table, typical of most board rooms lined with comfy black leather chairs.
"Cool!" Ethan cried as he rushed forward, followed by his two teammates.
"What's this?" Kira asked as she fingered an embossed emblem of two yellow bars that was on the head rest of that particular chair.
"Name tags," Hayley replied with a smile.
The rangers laughed as they walked towards their chairs, each emblazoned with their primary ranger symbol. Jason, Trini and Zack had their power coin symbol while those who had went Ninjetti had their spirit animal. Katherine and Tanya's Zeo symbols adorned theirs. The Dino Thunder team found theirs easily enough. It was the same symbol on their suits in their specific color.
"Hayley this is awesome!" Conner said.
"Take a seat everyone," Tommy said the dread rising in his throat as he remembered what they were there for.
The rangers sat a plain black chair next to Zack serving for Angela. She was seething, with the proverbial smoke coming out of her ears. Whatever the hell was going on she did not like it one single bit. The air grew thick with tension.
"Just what the hell is going on here?" she asked. "Zack?"
"Angela, honey, I really don't know how to tell you this—"
"Tell me what? There is something seriously freaking weird here and someone had better start explaining. Quick like."
She surveyed the group before her and watched as they fidgeted nervously, no one sure where to begin. Suddenly Trini's eyes lit up.
"Hey Angela?" She began with a smile. "Remember in high school when Zack kept making those lame passes at you and you told him that you would only go out with him if he was a Power Ranger?"
"Yeah? What about it?"
"Because Sweetness, you are looking at the original Black Ranger," Zack said with a grin.
"Say what!" Angela exclaimed
"I was a Power Ranger," he said slowly. "The Black one."
"We all were," Trini said, motioning those who sat around them.
Angela suddenly saw before her that instead of some weird color fetish that she'd always just assumed Zack and his friends had, the identifying colors of the Power Rangers. She gazed at them, her eyes slightly glazed as she processed the information.
"So when Zack left for the peace conference…" she started.
"We took over," Adam said motioning himself, Rocky and Aisha.
Angela's head was spinning.
"That means that you three…" she said gazing at Conner, Kira and Ethan.
"Hi, we're the new guys." Conner said, sticking out his hand.
"My god," Angela said. "It's true. Why hasn't anyone figured this out I mean you guys aren't really subtle about the color thing. Wait a minute. All those dates…those earrings? That one time at the movies?"
"Monster attack and Rita Repulsa," Zack supplied putting his hand around her waist.
"All of you were Power Rangers. No wonder everyone always thought you were so weird! It explains everything," Angela babbled.
"Weird?" Kimberly said a bit defensively. "I was a cheerleader. Perfectly normal, all of us!"
Angela paid her no mind and continued babbling. Suddenly she looked up and spoke quietly.
"Something really bad is going to happen isn't it?"
Something bad has already happened, thought Jason.
"It's ok," Tanya said. "We can handle it. Whatever it is."
"We've been doing this since High School, remember?" Kat said with a broad smile. "It'll be ok."
Angela's hand latched on to Zack's as they all turned to face Tommy, waiting expectantly.
No turning back now, Tommy thought.
Now or never, Kim thought as she rose a little from her seat at Tommy's immediate right.
"We don't have a lot of time or a lot of information," Tommy began. "But here is what we do know. Hayley?"
The red head nodded and turned to the adjacent computer, bringing up an image of Mesogog for the team.
"This is Mesogog. He is the master mind of all the problems here in Reefside. He is also who we, the Dino Thunder Team, have been fighting. A few weeks ago he made an attempt to abduct these children."
The image changed to one of Preston and Guinevere. It was a cropped picture of the one Jason had in his wallet. Aisha immediately choked up. Rocky put his hand over hers.
"They're twins named Preston and Guinevere. Mesogog failed then. Last night however he succeeded."
"What does he want with them?" Billy asked in concern.
"Has there been a ransom?" Adam asked.
Tommy exhaled slowly. Easy does it…
"We don't know exactly why Mesogog wants them. We have a few ideas though. They have a, uh, heritage of power."
Confused looks appeared around the table.
"What do you mean?" Ethan asked.
"Where are their parents?" Tanya asked. "They must be so worried."
"They are," Kimberly replied.
"They're so young," Trini said. "Helpless."
"They're eight," Kim responded again, tears welling up. She felt Tommy's hand on her shoulder.
"We think that Preston and Guinevere may have been taken because of who their parents are," Jason interjected.
"Who are they?" Zack cracked. "Rita and Zedd?"
"Me and Kimberly," Tommy replied.
Silence instantly flooded the room. Even Hayley jerked around in her chair and stared.
"What did you just say?" she said in a strangled voice.
"The children, the ones who have been kidnapped are Kim's and mine," he stated again.
Shock registered on every face save Jason, Aisha, and Rocky. Billy, Trini, Zack and Angela had the same look: Surprise and hurt. Save Angela they had all been Kim's best friends and she had never even hinted to them that she had been pregnant, let alone birthed the baby. Trini cried openly while Billy's mind clicked along trying to find a possible explanation. Zack was still in shock and was still processing. Adam, Tanya and Kat simply stared at them both. Tanya was swimming in confusion. She'd never truly experienced the Tommy/Kim element like her teammates but her heart ached for them both. As a child who had lost her parents, she could only imagine what a parent losing their child must feel. Kat's tears were slow at first but gradually streamed down her cheeks. Knowing previously that it was Kimberly's children who were missing has somewhat softened the blow but discovering they were also Tommy's was bearing down on her hard. She gazed at the projection in from of her. Suddenly she knew what had happened.
"You sent that letter because you were pregnant!" she accused, a decade of resentment surfacing in her voice. "You were afraid to tell Tommy. You wanted to keep him away from them."
"I didn't send Tommy that letter. I got one just like it if you want to know the truth."
Kim dug in her jean pocket and tossed her letter to Kat, not bothering to watch the blonde read it.
"I found out right before Valentine's Day that I was pregnant. It was the day I got the letter if you want to know the truth," Kim said with great effort.
"Oh Kim," Trini said in a small voice. "You couldn't have told us?"
"I wasn't going to tell anyone," Kim said consolingly. "It wasn't because I didn't trust you or anything, I just, well, I was afraid. I had known less than ten minutes when fearless Red over there came bounding into my hospital room."
"It was your fault for listing me as next of kin," Jason said to the questioning glances.
"Zordon knew, he sent me to help them," Aisha supplied quietly.
All was quiet in the room for a moment.
"I only just found out yesterday," Tommy said hoping to forestall anymore questions. "Kim was on her way here to talk to me when all of this happened."
Awkwardness settled around the room. Everyone was too afraid to speak yet far too curious to remain silent. Finally Hayley spoke up.
"So what do we do now?"
Tommy sent her a grateful look.
"The best thing I can think of is a divide and conquer," he said. "We storm Mesogog's Island fortress. And…"
A loud siren echoed in the cave. The video monitor immediately changed fro the projected picture to live feed from the park behind Hayley's cyber space. Zeltrax stood there apparently waiting. Tommy knew instantly what he was waiting for: them.
"Or maybe we don't," Tommy finished.
The Dino Thunder team stood and walked towards him.
"We'll go see what's up. Zeo Rangers be ready."
Tommy threw one meaningful glance at Kim who responded with a look that clearly told him to be careful.
"Dino Thunder! Power Up!" the team called, the younger generation adding in "HA!"
The team climbed on their Raptor Cycles and were gone before most of the former Rangers could recover from their shock. Hayley beefed up the video feed as best as she could and well as linked the audio feed from the comm.-links in the helmets to the speakers in the lair.
As they watched Tommy and his team ride out towards Zeltrax, the others gained control of them and began to take up auxiliary positions, waiting fro commands from Hayley.
"Did everyone bring there zeonizers?" Rocky asked softly.
As second in command of the Zeo team he knew his place, just as Jason knew his. Nods came from his team mates.
"Rocky," Aisha said quietly. "I don't think—Wouldn't you rather, I mean…Do you really need those? Adam I don't think you do either."
"Why not?" Adam said in confusion. "If Tommy needs back up…"
"We've got something better," Rocky said as realization hit him.
"What!" Billy said in confusion. "The Zeo powers are our next best bet if something happens…"
Let's show them our stuff," Aisha said as Kim came up behind her and Rocky.
"We need Ninja Power, now!"
As everyone around stared once again in shock, Rocky, Kim and Aisha stood before them in full Ninjetti. Adam and Billy exchanged glances before breaking out into smiles and yelling out the same. Power blazed through them as they morphed for the first time in years. They stood admiring their suits both too choked up to speak.
Suddenly Kim smiled as she remembered the request Tommy had made of her.
"Rocky, Adam, give me your Zeonizers," she said.
The handed them over without to much fuss, merely giving her a questioning gaze as she walked towards a grouping of three identical carved DT symbols on the far wall.
"What're you doing?" Kat asked as she watched her predecessor.
Kim did not answer but merely stared at the carvings. Hayley instantly knew what she was looking for. Without looking back from her computer she called out to Kim.
"Middle one. Left, right, middle."
"Thanks," Kim called out.
She walked straight up to the middle symbol and touched the carved points at the top in the order dictated by Hayley. The carving glowed green as if accepting the code, red as the middle portion recessed into the wall and a bright white as a small tray rose from the smoky enclosure. On this tray lay all of Tommy's morphers. The Dragon zord, The White Tiger, his red zeonizers and finally, one lone key, apparently the spare to TJ's Turbo morpher. Kim picked up the zeonizers and gently pushed the tray back in. It was camouflaged once again by the carving.
"Jase," she said walking towards him. "Tommy told me to give these to you. Just in case."
She handed him the Zeonizers, which he took gingerly, staring at them as if they were going to disappear in a puff of smoke.
"Trini, Zack," Kim continued, handing them the blue and green Zeoizers respectively. Their eyes were huge as they mechanically strapped the morphers on.
"Wait a second," Trini said. "Will these work? I mean you all had to go on quests for these powers right?"
"Well I guess there is only one way to find out," Zack said, raising his arm as he prepared to morph.
"Yeah," Hayley said with a smirk. "Go ask the Zeo Crystal."
"What!" the entire room chorused as another of the trio of carved symbols retracted into the wall revealing the Zeo crystal in all its glory.
"The Zeo Crystal?" Billy said. "How?"
"After Zordon was destroyed, Tommy went back to the remains of the command center to see if he could salvage anything," Hayley said. "He found a lot of things, mostly files and the like which are all embedded in our system. The rest he said was personal stuff that he said he would send you all, but knowing his memory I doubt he ever did. He found the Zeo Crystal down there though, and he's protected it ever since."
"Wow," Kat breathed.
"How else did you think we were running this place?" Hayley continued. "Tommy is only a high school teacher and you wouldn't believe the power this place takes. Thankfully the Zeo Crystal makes one hell of a battery."
"So what do we have to do to claim the powers?" Jason asked.
"I think you just grab the corresponding shard." Billy said. "At least that was how it was before…"
"I'm game," Zack said reaching for the rectangular shard. "Here goes."
His fingers touched the shard and a green energy jolt shot from the crystal shard to the Zeonizers.
"I think it likes you," Angela said with a small smile.
Trini stepped forward reaching for the triangle as Jason reached for the star. Both received the same Jolt Zack did.
"Hayley?" Tommy's voice came over the speakers. "We're approaching Zeltrax."
"I got you Tommy," Hayley said as she began to furiously type into the computer. "Back up is in place. Full Zeo and Ninjetti Teams."
"Good."
The Rangers had a laugh as they heard the obvious pride and satisfaction Tommy's voice.
Jason, Trini and Zack smiled wide as the felt the power course through their veins, it was good to have reliable power again. Even if it was only for a little while.
"There he is," Tommy said. "Stand by."
The picture on the screen changed, showing Tommy and the teens as they approached Zeltrax. The rangers held their breath as they waited for something to happen.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Zeltrax was a happy minion. All of his groveling was paying off. Mesogog had promised him Tommy Oliver, to do with as he pleased when the battle was over. Zeltrax gloated behind his helmet as he visualized the tortures he would put Tommy through.
"Don't get a head of yourself," Elsa said oily as she appeared next to him. "You being over confident has hindered us before. Wait till we get the Dino gems to plan your fantasy."
"Doubting yourself Elsa?" He sneered, pushing the leather clad minion away.
"No," she said with a smile. "Just you."
A low rumble announced the arrival of the Dino Thunder Rangers and they watched as said rangers pulled up on their ridiculous excuses for motorcycles and approached them.
"Greetings Rangers," Elsa called out grandly.
"Cut the crap Elsa," Tommy growled. "Where are the children?"
"Tommy!" came Kim's voice over protests from Hayley. "Calm down. Take it easy."
"Ooooh, so forceful Black Ranger," Elsa cooed. "Play nice."
"Or what?" Conner asked, full of bravado.
"Or we don't," Zeltrax snapped.
He waved his hand, opening an invisaportal. Guin and Preston appeared, bound back to back and gagged. They were slumped together, unmoving. Kim's heart lurched as she saw the image relayed back to her.
Are they asleep? Ethan thought as they watched.
Tommy fought the urge to explode in anger as over the com-mic's he could hear the furious shouts and gasps from those waiting.
"We'll play," Tommy said through gritted teeth.
"Thatta boy," Elsa drawled.
"Enough," Zeltrax said. "Here are our terms, Oliver. You give us the Dino Gems, we give you the brats. Simple enough."
"And if we don't?" Kira said.
"Then I get new playmates," came a new voice.
Through the invisaportal stepped the owner of the voice. Déjà Vu washed over Tommy and the original five.
"History seems to be repeating itself, Tommy," Elsa said. "Weren't you an evil ranger once upon a time?"
Tommy just stared as the evil stepped closer to his children. An evil white ranger. The gasp he heard over the helmet com had to have been Kimberly If he wasn't mistaken, the subsequent thump, squeal of pain and muffled static was Kimberly fainting, the headset cord being ripped from Hayley and Jason fighting for said headset. Suddenly Jason was online.
"Tommy, we're coming."
"Don't show yourself," he said quietly. "Remember rule number 2."
"Right," Jason said.
The words Tommy heard next were odd to his ears.
"Zeo Ranger V! Red!"
A flash filled him and he knew Jason had made the morph successfully. Hope began to build.
"Well Black Ranger?" White Ranger said
"Release them," Tommy said, his teammates too shocked to comprehend the situation any further. "Release my children and we will surrender the gems."
"You are hardly in a position to bargain," hissed the raspy voice of Mesogog.
His sudden arrival shocked the younger Dino Thunder Rangers out of their confusion. Tommy was instantly on guard. Things were just getting worse. He snuck a look at his kids. Guin and Preston were alert as if whatever was subduing them was slowly wearing off. Preston had his head cocked to the side, staring and studying the rangers with an intense gaze. He locked on Tommy, who nodded slightly to his son. Preston's face lit up immediately. He leaned back to his sister and whispered something in her ear. Guin turned to face him and Tommy saw his daughter's face for the first time. It stretched into a radiant smile that melted his heart and fueled his resolve. Taking note of Tommy's focal point, Mesogog made his way towards the twins and the White Ranger.
"I see you like my new allies, Black Ranger," he hissed out. "My White Ranger is certainly battle ready, but if we were to fight now, your children would get caught in the cross fire. Make your decision. Give me the Dino Gems or your son and daughter die."
"Dr. O?" Conner called out.
"He's right," Tommy said, shaking his head. "Pres and Guin would be caught in the middle. I won't risk them."
A flash of red caught his attention and he fought the urge to turn towards it. The others had arrived. Tommy smiled beneath his helmet.
"We understand Dr. O," Kira said. "It's the only way."
"Jase?" Tommy said softly. "You ready?"
"Ready Bro."
Slowly the Dino Thunder Rangers de-morphed and unclasped their morphers. Mesogog smiled, conguring a black box. Those watching choked back bile as they recalled a similar box and similar ultimatum.
"They'd better not be hurt," Ethan said, laying his morpher down.
"You evil son of a –"
"Conner!" Kira said cutting him off as they laid their morphers down together. She looked up into Mesogogs soulless eyes.
"Freak," she muttered.
"Your turn, Tommy," Zeltrax mocked from his place behind Mesogog.
Tommy laid his morpher down, but did not step back.
"Give me my son and daughter," he demanded.
"I'm a being of my word," Mesogog said in a rare show of civility as he closed the box. "Release them."
White Ranger stood there, unmoving, ignoring the order.
"I said release them," Mesogog roared.
White Ranger still did not move. Mesogog raged at him. When he was in arms length, White Ranger snatched the box from his arms with one hand and dragged the binding rope holding Pres and Guin with the other.
"You might honor your word, Mesogog, but I don't."
"Give me my children!" Tommy bellowed racing forward.
White ranger chuckled and side teleported to behind Tommy as he rushed forward. His laughter was cold and hollow.
"Make me," he said. "I hold all the cards!"
"But your not playing with a full deck!"
The unmorphed teens stared as the red zeo ranger and the Pink Ninjetti Ranger appeared from nowhere and toppled the white Ranger to the ground, the other rangers right behind them.
"Attack them!" Mesogog yelled, as he advanced on the White Ranger. "You won't betray me!"
"Try and stop me lizard man!" White Ranger mocked.
"With pleasure!" Mesogog replied as legions of tyrrano drones appeared.
"Get BACK!" Trini called to the teens, as the tyrrano drones approached them.
Conner, Kira and Ethan were not about to sit this battle out. Without thinking, they plunged into the group of Tyrrano drones, using their enhanced abilities to the extreme to fight the foot soldiers.
Zeltrax observed the scene with pleasure.
Chaos, he thought. Chaos is good. Anything can happen in chaos. My turn to play.
Zeltrax jumped, facing off with the unmorphed Tommy.
"Prepare to die!" Zeltrax bellowed as he charaged Tommy.
The battle was intense, especially around White Ranger and Mesogog. Energy flares were getting too close to Guin and Preston for any of the Rangers to be focused solely on the battle. Any time they got near the twins another wave of Tyrranodrones and monsters would appear and drive them back. Finally, Mesogog managed to throw an energy blast that hit the tiring Whtie Ranger squarely in the stomach. White Ranger fell to the ground and was struggling to get up as Mesogog sauntered over.
"No one betrays me. Not even you," he drawled. "I had such plans for you. For all of you."
Mesogog shook his head as he gathered energy in preparation to destroy White Ranger.
"Mommy said bad thigns happen if you talk to strangers!" called out Guin's voice
Mesogog was starlted by the random comment. He looked down to find that White Ranger no longer had possession of the box conataining the Dino Gems. Sometime during the scuffle the box had landed in the grasp of the bound children before him.
"Give me those, you wretched brats," Mesosgog said as he approached them.
"No," Preston said calmly.
The Rangers heads turned as the piercing screams echoed around them. Zeltrax ceased his battle with Tommy as the jets of green and purple light shot from the twins and shook the very ground beneath them.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Earth was coming into view. THEIR ice blue eyes locked on each other. Their scanners were going crazy with the ranger readings. Many different Rangers, some even with double colors. A flash of purple and green suddenly appeared causing one of the pair to buckle and collapse to the floor.
"Rho? Be you well?" asked her sister.
"Phi," replied her twin. "I be fine. It would appear that no longer alone I am. The color has chosen."
"They are in danger then?" Phi said simply.
"Yes," was Rho's response.
"Then it is now that we act."
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
"I will not be defeated so easily!" Mesogog roared. "You are all fools!"
"You're the fool!" spat out Kimberly as she advanced.
"Oooh, you've done it now!" Guin said in a mocking voice. "You've made Mommy mad!"
"Silence!" Mesogog spat out.
"Give it up Mesogog!" Tommy called out. "You won't win!"
"Oh really?" Zeltrax said as he began to refocus on Tommy. "What makes you so sure Black Ranger?"
"'Cause our dad is gonna kick your ass!" Preston yelled out.
Tommy couldn't help but smile. The White Ranger appeared from seemingly nowhere and grabbed the twins, causing them to squeal.
"Alright! Silence!" he bellowed out.
The tyrrano-drones disappeared. The Rangers didn't waste a minute in getting up closer to the twins.
"All of you are fools!" White Ranger said evil dripping from his voice. "They are coming with me."
"Let them go!" Kim screamed. "You have what you wanted!"
"No," White Ranger answered maliciously. "They have a place in my world, they are the key to the future. They will usher in…"
Lightning bolts of energy crackled down from the sky. Villians and heroes alike fell to the ground like dominoes. Once released from the gripes of their startled captor, the twins called out to their parents. Kimberly made her way between the bolts, as did Tommy. She reached them at the same time White Ranger was regaining his footing. With fierce cry she launched a mighty kick into the ranger's already bruised stomach. He lost his footing and toppled to the ground, rolling a small distance from the embracing family, the wind knocked out of him. Kim wasted no time in pulling her children close. Tommy tried to follow suit.
"Hi Daddy," Guin said as they tried to loosen the bonds that held the children.
Tommy stopped short and shot a stunned glance at Kim, who smiled before turning her attention back to the knot at Preston's side.
"Hello Princess," he responded.
Together they untied the children and hoisted them into their arms before rejoining their friends. Hugs and laughter and delighted gasps went yup from around the group. So loud in fact they almost missed Hayley's frantic call over comm.-links in the Zeo helmets.
"Guys! We have a problem! UFO directly above you! Preparing to fire! Take cover! I repeat: Take—"
"Hit the Deck!" those with helmets suddenly cried to those without, tackling those closets too them. Conner suddenly half grabbed, half tackled Kira to the ground, covering her with his body as a bolt struck where she had been standing previously. Kira sighed and pulled Conner into a tight hug. Her heart raced, his echoed.
"Thanks," she said with a smile, blood rushing to her cheeks.
"What's super speed for?" he said trying to sound off-hand.
A split second later a second shower of electric lighting rained down on them. Zeltrax, Elsa and Mesogog screamed and roared in pain. The sounds convinced all who heard them that the villains had indeed been struck by the bolts. A piercing cry from the knoll in front of them assured them that the White Ranger had also been hit. Just as quickly as they had started, the bolts ended. The Rangers raised their heads.
"Everyone ok?" Tommy called out.
Assent sounded from the various huddles. Tommy did notice that Conner and Kira were amoung the first to their feet and that Conner's arms were still snuggly around Kira as they surveyed the carnage around them. He smiled, but as he turned, the sight before wiped it from his face.
Zeltrax and Elsa lay there, face down and not moving in the grass. Messogog was right behind them. The elaborate armor decorating them suddenly began to fade and the Rangers gasped in horroer as their human identities were revealed. The team was shocked to discover Elsa's identity as Principal Randell although after a quick check to the throat, Billy assured them she would never again terrorize the halls. Kim turned Preston and Guin's faces from the carnage. Tommy put Guin down and she immediately buried her face in Kim's stomach. As Tommy approached the fallen villains, he let a strangled cry loose.
"Smitty, Anton?" he said as he identified them to the group. "Is this what happened when the island blew?"
Suddenly the thousands of small jibes that usually spilled from Mesogog and Zeltrax made a new sense. Zeltrax-no Smitty's- hatred was finally explained. A weight slumped around his shoulders and he felt his knees buckle as he sunk to the gorund. In the quiet Guin posed a question.
"Where's Trent, Mommy?"
"Trent?" Kimberly repeated, the name unfamiliar.
"Trent?" Kira said incredously, instantly knowing who Guin was referring too.
She disentangled herself from Conners arms and ran as fast as she could towards the downed White Ranger. He lay there unmoving, but Kira could see his chest moving rhythmically as he drew in air. She also noticed a cuff, similar to their own, on his wrist. The other Rangers joined her.
"He's breathing," Kira said, as Billy bent down to check Trent's pulse.
"His Gem is cracked," Ethan pointed out. "The lightning must have hit it."
"Is everyone alright?" came Hayley's voice over the comm.-link. "We lost you for a second."
"We're ok Hayley," Zack said quickly, as he received affirming nods from his teammates, knowing that his voice would not doubt calm his panic prone wife.
Trent suddenly groaned and tried to sit up. He clutched his middle and lay back, opening his eyes slowly.
"Hey," Kira said softly with a small smile.
"Hey," Trent said as she came into focus. Suddenly he pulled her down into a hug.
Kira gasped in surprise and gave Trent an uncomfortable smile as she pulled out of his embrace. She'd had a crush on the guy earlier in the school year, and had recently found out that he might have one on her, but had never really done anything about it. Kira felt odd. Somehow, after Conner's, Trent's hug just, well, just didn't measure up.
Conner suddenly wanted to hit Trent for reasons he couldn't understand but fully intended to pass off as adrenaline from the recent battle. A strong arm held him back as he unconsciously took a menacing step forward. He looked over to see Jason's helmeted face.
"Be ready for the consequences," Jason said cryptically.
"What are you talking about?" Conner said absently as he stared once again at Trent and Kira who were now rising, Trent leaning heavily on Kira.
Hayley's staticky coice crackled over the link again.
"Hey…Getting readings….wierd….Be…guard…"
The feed was gone again. The Rangers instantly on guard. Tommy picked Guinevere up once agin and held her close as Kim and Preston moved in closer to him. The team followed suit.
"I don't like this one bit!" Tanya called. "We're in the open."
"Move out!" Tommy called.
During the battle they hadn't spared it much thought, but the fact that they were standing in the middle of a very public park, with four of them unmorphed was not exactly something they wanted to broadcast. Reporters were not exactly good for the whole secret identity thing.
"Halt," ordered a low, flat voice.
The Rangers stared. In front of them stood two women, identical in dress and appearance, their platinum hair pulled from their faces, hatred shining from their ice blue eyes.
"Power Rangers?" the one on the left spat out.
"Fools, say I," the other replied.
The rangers traded glances with each other, unsure of what to do and subconsciously pulled as close together as they could.
"Too young for the power," said the first as she stared them down. "No control, no respect for their history. Rho?"
"Agree Phi. Needed help to defeat a simple man. Too young."
"You sent down the lightning?" Kat questioned.
"We freed the younglings," THEY replied in unison.
"Freaky," Kira whispered.
"Who are you?" Tommy said, desperately searching for his dino morpher. "What do you want?"
"You search for these, yes?" asked the one called Rho.
She held the box contaiing their dino morphers.
The Twins must have dropped it in the first lightning attack, Tommy thought.
"You don't deserve them," Phi called out. "You are corrupt, unworthy."
"Zordon didn't think so!" Rocky yelled out without thinking.
"Speak NOT his name!' the Twin females bellowed.
They paced, studying the rangers before them.
"Weak you are," said Rho. "Against evil though, you have no match. The Power is on your side. For this we respect you."
"Yet, is it true or not, that while evil fights a futile battle against you, it is almost always an evil human ranger who succeds where your alien villains cannot?"
Phi's comment hit home with Tommy and Kat and Trent suddenly began to comprehend what had happened and what had been about to happen.
"Humans possess not the honor nor the duty required. Far too selfish. Trusted you Zordon should not have. I would not have."
"Well he did!" Jason yelled out as his patience wore out.
"Well we don't," they replied.
Tommy had had enough, he stepped forward.
"Look, I don't know who you are, what you want or why you are here. I don't care, state your business."
"He speaks to us as if he were our equal sister."
"I am Phi, she is Rho and you are Tommy Oliver." Phi said with a predatory gleam in her eye.
"You are not worthy," They said again as theu raised their hands. "We take what should never have been given."
Energy bolts flew around them. The Rangers ducked for cover once again.
"I've had enough of this!" Tany a hissed to Adam as they hit the deck.
"We'll get through this. Just keep your cool." he said softly.
The bolts rained down on them, stray bolts hitting the zeonizers, demorphing those possessing them. The Ninjetti lost the concentration needed to contain the Ninja powers. Phi and Rho suddenly laughed.
"Pitiful." Phi said walking towards them.
They all stood slowly. Kim instinctively pushed her children behind her.
"So you are the reason…"Phi began as she caught sight of Preston.
Tommy stepped infornt of Kim and his kids.
"You stay aways from them."
Phi and Rho paid no attention whatsoever merely raising their hands and releasing more energy bolts. These encircled the rangers and bond them much as Pres and Guin had been earlier. The bolts formed a vicelike rope on the rangers which refused to budge, even as they struggled against it. Pres and Guin frantically worked against their parents bonds trying to free them. Phi and Rho advanced on them like cats stalking their prey.
"You. You are the reason," Rho said, her eyes staring into Guinevere's as she yanked the girl forward.
"Dulcea's true heir," spat Phi pulling him away from Kimberly's arms.
"NO!" Kim screamed as her children were pulled away from her once again.
I just got them back, Not again! Not now!
"NINJA RANGER POWER NOW!" Tommy and Kimberly screamed at the same time.
Their morph managed to destroy the binding around them and together they charged the sisters.
"Enough of this," Phi said.
"Agreed," Rho said.
They raised their hands, Tommy and Kimberly mere inches from them, and fired once more. Only this time, the bolts went straight to the chests of the rangers before them and those around them. The humans crumpled instantly and the sisters laughed as their hostages cried out for their parents. Suddenly Rho stopped laughing, merely watching as Tommy fell.
"He wears white," she said in horror. "He was deemed worthy to wear white."
"He is unworthy, it matters not." Phi said with authority. "He is after all, human."
They dragged the squirming children to the top of the small hill and teleported out, leaving the rangers unmorphed in a stunned sleep in the middle of the park.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
"NO!" screamed Hayley and Angela in tandem.
They'd lost audio feed a good long while ago but video feed was still miraculously perfect. The women saw the attack and decided that sitting back was no longer an option. Hayley sprinted up the stairs, Angela close on her heels. Angela went straight to the loose pile of keys on the kitchen counter, digging through them until she found the keys to her and Zack's Eclipse. Hayley already had Tommy's spare keys to his Jeep in one hand. She handed Angela a key set with a dangling King Kong key chain. Keys to Rocky's suburban.
"I think we might need something bigger," Hayley said tightly.
Angela nodded and out the door they went.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
(To Be Continued...)
